A MARTINEZ, HOST:
A nationwide electrical energy scarcity begins at present in Ukraine. People are being requested to preserve electrical energy after Russian assaults utilizing missiles and Iranian-made drones on energy stations.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Now, Iran denies sending Russia kamikaze drones. The U.S. accuses Iran of mendacity, because the European Union prepares to sanction the nation for supplying Russia. And Iran’s army cooperation with Russia would not finish there, with reported plans by Tehran to ship surface-to-surface missiles, extra drones, plus army trainers, to assist the Russians.
MARTINEZ: To discover out what’s behind this, we’re turning to Peter Kenyon in Istanbul. Peter, Tehran and Moscow have cooperated militarily earlier than, however why is Iran getting concerned now?
PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Well, I’m seeing reviews that Russia’s personal stockpile of ballistic and cruise missiles is shrinking, in order that could possibly be one cause. Iran is reportedly supplying Russia with medium-range missiles, in addition to the Iranian Shahed drones that at the moment are being seen attacking Ukrainian targets. It’s acquired Western nations scrambling considerably to assist Ukraine counter these new weapons.
Beyond that, Iran has been paying extra consideration to its alliance with Russia, in addition to China, as its ties with Western powers have frayed. The extra hopeful days of the Iran nuclear settlement, they gave solution to a return to hostilities in the course of the Trump administration. There had been some hopes about reviving the deal after President Biden took workplace, however although either side stated they needed to revive the deal, months of talks failed and now seem like primarily frozen, partially due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Tehran’s help for Moscow.
MARTINEZ: But how does higher involvement on this promote Iran’s nationwide pursuits?
KENYON: Well, it definitely demonstrates to Russia, anyway, Iran has some worth on this alliance. Now, whether or not that alliance can present Iran with the help and advantages Tehran hoped to see out of improved ties with the West, that is still to be seen. Analysts say it is in all probability unlikely. But it reveals Iran can contribute to the alliance. And there’s one other profit for Iran which will largely play out domestically at house in Iran. Tehran has at all times seen itself as a serious world energy, and strikes like this present Iranian leaders with one thing to level to after they wish to speak about Iran’s place as an vital actor on the world stage, a rustic whose pursuits should at all times be taken under consideration.
MARTINEZ: If there are penalties for Iran, what would they seemingly be?
KENYON: Well, a superb query. On the optimistic aspect, arms offers usher in income. Iran has suffered for years below Western sanctions, and so they might definitely use the cash. That was the principle level of the nuclear settlement, so far as Iran was involved, after all, to get out from below the sanctions – additionally, one of many essential arguments critics used to assault it, that that cash can be flowing to the Revolutionary Guard Corps, the army and could possibly be utilized in assaults towards Israel or different U.S. allies.
Now, then again, these newest occasions are anticipated to extend Western stress on Iran. They dim hopes for diplomatic initiatives, such because the try to revive the nuclear settlement. On the opposite, we’re seeing now European Union sanctions being imposed already towards Russia over the Ukraine invasion. And now it appears just like the EU is following up with sanctions on Iran. An EC spokeswoman says the EU has gathered ample proof to justify sanctions, and members are trying towards a transparent, swift and agency EU response.
MARTINEZ: NPR’s Peter Kenyon is in Istanbul. Peter, thanks.
KENYON: Thank you.
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MARTINEZ: The British authorities is as soon as once more in chaos.
FADEL: Last week, Prime Minister Liz Truss was compelled to fireplace her Treasury secretary. The two of them had championed an financial agenda that despatched mortgage charges hovering and crashed the pound. And final night time, one other senior minister left and took photographs at Truss on the way in which out. The prime minister is clinging to an workplace she’s occupied for simply over six weeks.
MARTINEZ: Let’s go to NPR’s London correspondent Frank Langfitt. Frank, issues are shifting quick on this. So the place did it depart off?
FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: Yeah. Thanks, A. Actually, final night time, as Leila was saying, the house secretary, Suella Braverman, she resigned. It’s not clear whether or not she stop or was pushed, however I’m undecided it actually issues as a result of she criticized Truss on the way in which out, on this letter, for implementing the very financial insurance policies that the prime minister really ran towards. And then yesterday we had these items known as Prime Minister’s Questions right here, and the Opposition Labour chief – his title is Keir Starmer – he stated he thought, , Truss ought to simply comply with her Cabinet secretaries out the door. This is the way in which he put it.
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KEIR STARMER: A e-book is being written in regards to the prime minister’s time in workplace. Apparently, it may be out by Christmas. Is that the discharge date or the title?
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LANGFITT: Truss, after all, she says she’s not going wherever. Here’s how she put it.
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PRIME MINISTER LIZ TRUSS: Mr. Speaker, I’m a fighter and never a quitter.
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MARTINEZ: All proper. So not a quitter, however she could possibly be pushed out. So given how shortly issues have unraveled for her, how a lot help does she have from members of her personal Parliament?
LANGFITT: Not a lot in any respect, A. People right here suppose that her resignation is just in all probability a matter of time. The Daily Star – it is a tabloid – it is working this livestream of a photograph of Truss and a wilting head of lettuce to see which lasts longer. The social gathering would not even appear to be working successfully in some methods. Last night time over in Parliament, it was chaotic about this vote about fracking that they’d. There’s a member of Parliament with the Tories named Charles Walker. He known as it a shambles and a shame. And he stated this. He stated, the harm they’ve performed to our social gathering is extraordinary; I’ve had sufficient of talentless folks.
MARTINEZ: Talentless folks – what does Walker imply by talentless folks?
LANGFITT: I believe there is a sense right here, A, amongst analysts and lawmakers within the social gathering that Truss has surrounded herself with form of second- and third-rate parliamentarians, partially to verify there was no one in her personal Cabinet that would knock her off. And some folks say this highlights a systemic drawback in the way in which this nation operates. You can appoint someone as vital because the chancellor of the exchequer – that is like our Treasury secretary – with none oversight, such as you’d get within the United States with Senate affirmation. Patrick Dunleavy – he is an emeritus professor of political science over at London School of Economics that I chat with. And that is the purpose that he made.
PATRICK DUNLEAVY: The complete incident of Liz Truss coming into energy, appointing a not-very-well-known individual as chancellor, pushing via a complete sequence of unfunded tax cuts and a price range with none financial forecasts after which having to tear all of it up inside 4 weeks – that could be a excellent instance of what occurs when you do not have checks and balances.
MARTINEZ: Truss is Britain’s fourth prime minister because the Brexit vote of 2016. I imply, how has a celebration that was identified for stability turn out to be so unstable?
LANGFITT: So many causes, however Brexit can be one, right-wing populist tilt of the Tories, however as Patrick Dunleavy was speaking about – this unwillingness of leaders to degree with the general public in regards to the inevitable trade-offs. You know, folks discuss with right here as cakeism – Boris Johnson famously stated he was professional having cake and professional consuming it. And mainly, what we’re discovering is if you’re promising these items you may’t ship, you find yourself with a monetary and political chaos we now see right here on this nation. And if the Tories cannot proper the ship, that is the very best alternative for the Labour Party in years.
MARTINEZ: NPR’s Frank Langfitt. Frank, thanks.
LANGFITT: Good to speak, A.
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MARTINEZ: Asbestos – for many years, it was utilized in nearly all the things from constructing supplies to materials to automobile elements. The factor is, although, asbestos can also be a identified carcinogen, and over time, many corporations stopped utilizing it due to the most cancers dangers.
FADEL: Now, the U.S. by no means really banned the substance, although, and a few industries proceed to depend on it. Now there’s an opportunity asbestos might lastly be banned. All of that is detailed in a brand new report printed at present by ProPublica and NPR.
MARTINEZ: Joining us now for extra is well being reporter Sarah Boden at member station WESA in Pittsburgh, who labored on the challenge. Sarah, fairly shocking to listen to that asbestos continues to be round and getting used within the U.S. I imply, what’s it getting used for?
SARAH BODEN, BYLINE: Yeah, I used to be stunned by that, too. It seems asbestos continues to be utilized by the chemical business particularly for making chlorine, and that is as a result of asbestos is a virtually indestructible mineral, and the chemical course of to create chlorine is unstable. So you must hold sure supplies separate, and that is performed by coating thick metallic screens with a moist asbestos paste. You know, it form of appears like oatmeal. And, , there are newer methods to provide chlorine with out asbestos, however numerous older services within the U.S. have not made these adjustments. The chlorine business has claimed for many years that they’ll deal with asbestos safely, however after all, it is extraordinarily harmful, and reporting from my colleagues over at ProPublica discovered gorgeous accounts of security laws not being adopted.
MARTINEZ: Yeah, inform us extra about that. I do know you have spoken to a few of the folks from the NPR/ProPublica story which might be involved about their very own publicity.
BODEN: Yep, yep. I went as much as Niagara Falls, N.Y., earlier this month, and in that group, there’s an organization known as OxyChem that ran a chlorine plant for many years. It was a serious employer within the area, till final yr when it shut down. And I spoke to some former OxyChem staff, and so they instructed me how the moist asbestos that I discussed, properly, it might dry up and float across the facility and get on their garments and into these hard-to-reach corners, like behind lighting fixtures or on prime of furnaces. And ultimately, employees would breathe it in. One of the folks I spoke to on my journey is that this man named Mike Spacone.
MIKE SPACONE: When I see my associates that labored within the plant at a younger age getting all these totally different cancers, I’ve to marvel, was it ‘trigger what they had been uncovered to?
BODEN: There had been different hazardous chemical compounds that Spacone labored with on the plant, however, , we all know if you breathe in asbestos, it would not get damaged down, and over time, that may scar your lungs and even trigger a number of forms of most cancers. Of course, we reached out to OxyChem for this story, and so they stated that the well being and security of its employees is its prime precedence. And additionally, they stated that the accounts at Niagara Falls had been inaccurate, however OxyChem would not particularly say what elements had been incorrect.
MARTINEZ: The employees, although, noticed the asbestos. They knew it was harmful. Why did they keep?
BODEN: Well, for some folks, they felt like they did not have an alternative choice. Another man I talked to, Mark Justiana, says he felt pressured by his bosses to not make waves.
MARK JUSTIANA: I graduated highschool, , and I made $100,000 a yr. Where else am I going to go making that form of cash? So it was, , a give-and-take.
MARTINEZ: Wow. Now, within the story, your colleagues at ProPublica write that it appears just like the U.S. may lastly ban asbestos. How lifelike is that?
BODEN: Well, , there’s extra momentum than what we have seen earlier than, and that is as a result of the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a full ban on asbestos, which is one thing that many public well being specialists say is lengthy overdue. But the rule is not finalized but and is going through actual pushback. You know, there have been makes an attempt to do that earlier than, however the chemical business has fought these makes an attempt, and it appears prefer it’s doing that once more.
MARTINEZ: That’s WESA well being reporter Sarah Boden, who’s been talking in regards to the new NPR and ProPublica investigation on asbestos. You can discover it proper now on npr.org. Sarah, thanks.
BODEN: Thanks, A.
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